Enhancing bilateral cooperation is crucial for Taiwan and Paraguay to address the threat of authoritarian expansionism amid rapid global change, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at an event welcoming a delegation of lawmakers headed by Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies President Raul Latorre.
Working together, Taiwan and Paraguay can overcome the challenges of a new era, defend freedom and democracy, and make greater contributions to global peace and prosperity, Lai told the meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
He thanked the delegation for visiting Taiwan to attend tomorrow’s Double Ten National Day events, calling it an act of goodwill and friendship.
Photo: CNA
Lai in 2023 attended Paraguayan President Santiago Pena’s inauguration ceremony as the then-vice president, sharing a table with Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Juan Manuel Anazco at a state banquet, he said.
Latorre has been a good friend of Taiwan, voicing support for the nation at numerous international events, and attending Lai and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) inauguration last year, he said.
Pena earlier this year supported Taiwan’s participation in the UN and other international organizations at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly, while the Paraguayan legislature on multiple occasions backed the nation’s bid to meaningfully participate in global bodies, Lai said.
Taiwan was moved by Pena’s comments at the UN, urging world leaders to admit Taiwan as a full member and calling the nation’s participation a matter of justice, he said.
Latorre said that Paraguay stands firmly beside Taiwan and that Asuncion is committed to deepening the bonds of brotherhood between the two nations.
A total of 204 foreign dignitaries are to take part in tomorrow’s National Day celebrations, including delegations from diplomatic allies Belize, led by Belizean Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam, and Saint Lucia, led by Saint Lucian Governor-General Sir Cyril Charles, as well as Paraguay, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The guests include 120 members of visiting foreign delegations and 74 foreign representatives currently stationed in Taiwan, along with their spouses, it said.
Fifty-five of the visiting delegates are from the Asia-Pacific region, 26 are from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 17 are from Europe. The group also includes 16 foreign journalists and six representatives from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, of which Taiwan has been a non-regional member since 1992.
A Swedish parliamentary delegation, a delegation of local Japanese political leaders and a group of participants in the European Valued Important Partnership program are also to join the celebrations, the ministry said.
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